Früchtelebkuchen (Gingerbread with dried fruits)
Ingredients:
for the dough:
560 g flour (rye or wheat)
400 g white or brown sugar
1 packet (about 15 g) of baking powder, or 1 teaspoon of baking soda
4 whole eggs
6 tablespoons of honey
30 g mixed spices (ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, aniseed, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, fennel)
for the filling:
any fruit jam (red currant, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, etc.)
700 g (or more if desired) dried fruits (some 100 g each of figs, dates, prunes, bitter orange candied peel (Aranzini), raisins, walnuts, peeled almonds, or as preferred)
for the chocolate icing:
250 g cooking chocolate
125 g coconut fat*, but butter or margarine can be used.
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Preparation: Mix all the dough ingredients together and knead them. Then, let the dough rest for 1 to 2 hours, after which separate it into two halves. Spread one half of the dough on to a baking tray, spread jam over the dough, cover this with dried fruits and then cover it with the second layer of dough. Bake for 15 to 20 min. in the centre of moderately hot oven (170-180 c.). Take the cake out when the dough is still soft. While still warm, cover it with the chocolate icing** and decorate it with walnuts or almonds. Let the cake rest for a whole day. Slice and serve the following day. ** Melt chocolate and fat in a double boiler until soft; then, while it is still fairly liquid and creamy, spread it over the baked cake. Leave icing to set. |
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Photograph (c)2008 Gabriele Weichart |
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* coconut fat is the solid fraction of coconut oil, but has a higher melting point; it is popular as confectionary fat in Austria, and one brand name is Ceres.
